What is the difference between getting teach credentials and getting a Certificate in Advanced IB Studies?

I did contact 'teach ready' in Florida.
For others who may be interested in getting credentials they do have a set up to get them abroad.
And they seem to have a fairly straightforward payment plan.

I will attempt to contact the other school in Texas which has a credential program where one can apply working abroad.
I will post the details when I get them.

I'm not sure I'm understanding you fully. When I saw the OP I assumed you meant doing a PGCE or other qualification leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) outside your home country. Now I get the impression you mean doing a distance course that leads to QTS. As I understand it that is possible but usually requires some kind of on-the-ground connection between a university abroad and the 'parent' university back in the UK or US or wherever. Otherwise I don't see how the teacher observation component can be carried out properly. I'd be very cautious about doing a distance PGCE (or equivalent), though perhaps it is possible these days. Anyone?

What is the difference between getting teach credentials and getting a Certificate in Advanced IB Studies?

I did contact 'teach ready' in Florida.
For others who may be interested in getting credentials they do have a set up to get them abroad.
And they seem to have a fairly straightforward payment plan.

I will attempt to contact the other school in Texas which has a credential program where one can apply working abroad.
I will post the details when I get them.

I think I understand what you've posted. Here's the thing. First of all, the most important accreditation in the US is regional (not national) so if you find an online university with regional accreditation you're good to go. National University has bricks and mortar and online classes (they started bricks and mortar and have gone more and more online.) They are regionally accredited in the Western US and are the most commonly used online university in Calif./AZ/Nevada for teachers.

But in order to get a clear teaching credential you must do either supervised student teaching or work in your own classroom and be observed (this only happens when there is a severe shortage of teachers) Your overseas work will not be counted towards your student teaching since you won't be observed. Make sure the school in Texas is regionally accredited (not sure which body accredits their schools) and that your teaching certificate is actually valid. There are a lot of shady schools online which seem legit.

Teaching certificates are awarded by the state, not the university. You take all the classes then submit your transcripts to the State Commission on Teacher Credentialing (in your state) I think you also need fingerprints. There has to be a class on your transcripts where you did student teaching, were observed and graded. So I can't see how you could get around that.

The cert in IB studies would be an addendum to your teaching certificate (like reading, bilingual or gifted.) It will not take the place of a teaching certificate.

The GMU link looked like your best bet. I still don't understand how you get by the student teaching part but it's a solid program. I'd contact them.
And no, you won't get the best schools (you'll get crappy ones) or the best pay without teaching credentials and two years minimum experience. There are way too many experienced teachers with credentials and Master's out there looking for good jobs.

And for those who won't bother to read my entire post. I'll say it again. Yes, you CAN get an international school job without teaching credentials but it'll be s***.

The most money I've ever earned/saved was at an American school in South America. I earned an American salary on tiny 3rd world living expenses. But I had a lot of credentials, experience and an MA.

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I also did mention that I was half way through this program and some of the points you listed are wrong.

5. The teacher can do their final week of supervised teaching in the same classroom they have been doing their field experiences in the whole time. In the beginning of the program you do the field experiences for about 2-3 hours a week. As the lessons progress, you start to spend more time in the classroom teaching 5-6 hours per week. Then your final full week of teaching. This can be done in your own classroom if you are already teaching full time for example at private schools in the USA or an accredited international school.

6. You do not have to go back to Florida to take the exams. They are offered in many different states around the USA. The only exams not offered in other states are Art K-12, Music K-12, two or three foreign languages, Speech, and I believe one more. If you are in the army, you can take the test on an army base around the world. In you are not in the army, you can still take your test at an army base. Someone will have to sign you on (friend). This is up to the person in charge of the testing center so you have to call. You can only take one test a day.

7. There are 7-8 lessons. Each lesson is broken down to more lessons. There are guided deadlines that you should adhere to, but it's not completely necessary. They do not administer any tests. The only test you take are the 3 required ones back in the USA or army base. They will mail you your books. Everything is online except for the field experiences you must do in person.

8. Everyone cannot do this program. You must have a bachelors degree and a specific grade point average. This program is based in America which is accessible to Americans only. People from other countries can do the course and take the tests, but they will not be administered at teaching credential, but a meaningless TeacherReady certificate. It's better for them to do a teaching certification in their own country.

If you have more questions, ask TeacherReady or just post here. I can try my best to answer.

Last edited by Cherrysoda on Tue Feb 05, 2013 11:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I also did mention that I was half way through this program and some of the points you listed are wrong.

5. The teacher can do their final week of supervised teaching in the same classroom they have been doing their field experiences in the whole time. In the beginning of the program you do the field experiences for about 2-3 hours a week. As the lessons progress, you start to spend more time in the classroom teaching 5-6 hours per week. Then your final full week of teaching. This can be done [/b]in your own classroom if you are already teaching full time for example at private schools in the USA or an accredited international school.

6. You do not have to go back to Florida to take the exams. They are offered in many different states around the USA. The only exams not offered in other states are Art K-12, Music K-12, two or three foreign languages, Speech, and I believe one more. If you are in the army, you can take the test on an army base around the world. In you are not in the army, you can still take your test at an army base. Someone will have to sign you on (friend). This is up to the person in charge of the testing center so you have to call. You can only take one test a day.

7. There are 7-8 lessons. Each lesson is broken down to more lessons. There are guided deadlines that you should adhere to, but it's not completely necessary. They do not administer any tests. The only test you take are the 3 required ones back in the USA or army base. They will mail you your books. Everything is online except for the field experiences you must do in person.

8. Everyone cannot do this program. You must have a bachelors degree and a specific grade point average. This program is based in America which is accessible to Americans only. People from other countries can do the course and take the tests, but they will not be administered at teaching credential, but a meaningless TeacherReady certificate. It's better for them to do a teaching certification in their own country.

If you have more questions, ask TeacherReady or just post here. I can try my best to answer.

What about basic skills tests that many states require such as the CBEST? Are those given overseas?

Quote:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

This sounds fine but I would still call whatever agency grants teaching credentials in Florida and ask if it's an accepted program before spending a lot of time and money.

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I also did mention that I was half way through this program and some of the points you listed are wrong.

5. The teacher can do their final week of supervised teaching in the same classroom they have been doing their field experiences in the whole time. In the beginning of the program you do the field experiences for about 2-3 hours a week. As the lessons progress, you start to spend more time in the classroom teaching 5-6 hours per week. Then your final full week of teaching. This can be done [/b]in your own classroom if you are already teaching full time for example at private schools in the USA or an accredited international school.

6. You do not have to go back to Florida to take the exams. They are offered in many different states around the USA. The only exams not offered in other states are Art K-12, Music K-12, two or three foreign languages, Speech, and I believe one more. If you are in the army, you can take the test on an army base around the world. In you are not in the army, you can still take your test at an army base. Someone will have to sign you on (friend). This is up to the person in charge of the testing center so you have to call. You can only take one test a day.

7. There are 7-8 lessons. Each lesson is broken down to more lessons. There are guided deadlines that you should adhere to, but it's not completely necessary. They do not administer any tests. The only test you take are the 3 required ones back in the USA or army base. They will mail you your books. Everything is online except for the field experiences you must do in person.

8. Everyone cannot do this program. You must have a bachelors degree and a specific grade point average. This program is based in America which is accessible to Americans only. People from other countries can do the course and take the tests, but they will not be administered at teaching credential, but a meaningless TeacherReady certificate. It's better for them to do a teaching certification in their own country.

If you have more questions, ask TeacherReady or just post here. I can try my best to answer.

What about basic skills tests that many states require such as the CBEST? Are those given overseas?

Quote:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

This sounds fine but I would still call whatever agency grants teaching credentials in Florida and ask if it's an accepted program before spending a lot of time and money.

There are 3 required exams.
-The FTCE (Florida Teacher Certification Examination) General Knowledge exam which consists of 4 parts: math, reading, essay, English language skills.
-The FTCE Professional Knowledge Exam. This is what the TeacherReady course prepares you for.
-The FTCE Content Exam. This exam may be different for everyone. It depends on what you want to get certified in. Some might choose math, elementary education, or dance. You can take as many as you want, though I don't think that's the best option.

All of these exams can be taken abroad.

I'd also call to ask and make sure the program is accredited. It only makes sense if you are interested. I also wouldn't trust a username on some random website telling me the program is legit, but I'm going to anyway. It's accredited and I've already called. Of course, you should do it for yourself. Plenty of people get placed in international schools and public schools in America through the completion of this program. It's convenient for people who already live abroad, are already teaching, or have a full time job doing something else. The best thing about it is that you don't have to spend a semester or a year doing an unpaid internship. At the end of the 9 months, you are completely certified. The certification lasts for 5 years before you must take continuing education courses/seminars to keep it valid. Similar to other certifications issued in other states.

I was just curious about the program because it's the first I've heard that could be done overseas. I did my coursework in California in 1989 and at that time due to the bilingual teacher shortage got my teaching credentials at night while teaching my own class during the day. I also had a university professor come for a year and observe me for my "student teaching." It makes sense that you could do the coursework and be observed anywhere.

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I also did mention that I was half way through this program and some of the points you listed are wrong.

5. The teacher can do their final week of supervised teaching in the same classroom they have been doing their field experiences in the whole time. In the beginning of the program you do the field experiences for about 2-3 hours a week. As the lessons progress, you start to spend more time in the classroom teaching 5-6 hours per week. Then your final full week of teaching. This can be done in your own classroom if you are already teaching full time for example at private schools in the USA or an accredited international school.

6. You do not have to go back to Florida to take the exams. They are offered in many different states around the USA. The only exams not offered in other states are Art K-12, Music K-12, two or three foreign languages, Speech, and I believe one more. If you are in the army, you can take the test on an army base around the world. In you are not in the army, you can still take your test at an army base. Someone will have to sign you on (friend). This is up to the person in charge of the testing center so you have to call. You can only take one test a day.

7. There are 7-8 lessons. Each lesson is broken down to more lessons. There are guided deadlines that you should adhere to, but it's not completely necessary. They do not administer any tests. The only test you take are the 3 required ones back in the USA or army base. They will mail you your books. Everything is online except for the field experiences you must do in person.

8. Everyone cannot do this program. You must have a bachelors degree and a specific grade point average. This program is based in America which is accessible to Americans only. People from other countries can do the course and take the tests, but they will not be administered at teaching credential, but a meaningless TeacherReady certificate. It's better for them to do a teaching certification in their own country.

If you have more questions, ask TeacherReady or just post here. I can try my best to answer.

I looked back at the postings.
You were the first one to talk about this program on the forum.

Interesting information.
I have only spoken to a 'secretary' and no one else at the school yet.
Thats why I stating I didn't know if the information I was posting was absolutely correct.
The information I posted however was what I have been told so far.
The director of the program should be getting back to me in a few days.

I did not know the testing could be given on army bases.
That will be helpful to not have to go to Florida.
And I had no idea the entire program could be done overseas like all of the supervised training.
That should be helpful also.
This information will help me have a more beneficial conversation with the director of the program.

I am not saying if this is right or wrong.
And I am not stating if this information is correct or not.

I am trying to follow through on what some people have suggested in postings. This is what I found on line when searching to see if the 'teacher ready' program was accredited:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

I also did mention that I was half way through this program and some of the points you listed are wrong.

5. The teacher can do their final week of supervised teaching in the same classroom they have been doing their field experiences in the whole time. In the beginning of the program you do the field experiences for about 2-3 hours a week. As the lessons progress, you start to spend more time in the classroom teaching 5-6 hours per week. Then your final full week of teaching. This can be done [/b]in your own classroom if you are already teaching full time for example at private schools in the USA or an accredited international school.

6. You do not have to go back to Florida to take the exams. They are offered in many different states around the USA. The only exams not offered in other states are Art K-12, Music K-12, two or three foreign languages, Speech, and I believe one more. If you are in the army, you can take the test on an army base around the world. In you are not in the army, you can still take your test at an army base. Someone will have to sign you on (friend). This is up to the person in charge of the testing center so you have to call. You can only take one test a day.

7. There are 7-8 lessons. Each lesson is broken down to more lessons. There are guided deadlines that you should adhere to, but it's not completely necessary. They do not administer any tests. The only test you take are the 3 required ones back in the USA or army base. They will mail you your books. Everything is online except for the field experiences you must do in person.

8. Everyone cannot do this program. You must have a bachelors degree and a specific grade point average. This program is based in America which is accessible to Americans only. People from other countries can do the course and take the tests, but they will not be administered at teaching credential, but a meaningless TeacherReady certificate. It's better for them to do a teaching certification in their own country.

If you have more questions, ask TeacherReady or just post here. I can try my best to answer.

What about basic skills tests that many states require such as the CBEST? Are those given overseas?

Quote:

'TeacherReady® is a nine month online alternative teacher certification ... of the NCATE accredited Professional Education Unit at the University of West Florida.'

This is the little I found out:

1. The 'teacher ready' program is in Pensacola, Florida.
2. All of the instruction is on line.
3. When person lives abroad 'teacher ready' will assist in helping student teacher find school where they can do supervised teaching in subject area they are interested.
For example: Special education, ESL or whatever.
4. Apparently the school abroad agrees to work with 'teacher ready' as far as monitoring the new teacher.
5. The new teacher must go back to Florida for one 40 hour week of supervised teaching within the classroom.
6. All teacher testing will take place in Florida.
7. There are no classes so to speak.
Everything is done by on site training.
8. Anyone can be a part of this program.
The program was originally made to help accommodate the men and women finishing up their enlistment in the armed forces.
There is a big navy base within the same town as the school.

This sounds fine but I would still call whatever agency grants teaching credentials in Florida and ask if it's an accepted program before spending a lot of time and money.

Yes...

I totally agree and I will.
I appreciate all the information from everyone!

Old thread . . but I just wanted to let people know that TR is legit. I completed the program, passed the Florida state tests (which I did have to travel back to the US to take, but, like a previous poster mentioned, are available at testing centers around the country) and received my Florida state certification. I am currently working towards my MA ED at UWF (TR does count for 12 credits; you only need 24 more, 8 courses and they are between $1200 and $1400 depending on the semester - you do have to submit the tuition waiver form each semester). Hope this helps someone.

I've been looking into Western Governor's University for an MA, and have decided to apply for the fall semester. No brick and mortar - all online - and an amazingly low tuition (I believe it's still $2000 USD/semester for any number of units you take). I'm impressed with everything I've read; the online reviews are good, and it's nationally, regionally and NCATE accredited. Here's the link to their Teachers' College http://www.wgu.edu/education/online_teaching_degree .

I don't know how they handle an overseas supervised teaching, but it shouldn't be hard to find that out.

If you become a certified teacher in one of the big English countries, but don't get two year's experience at home before going to an international school, do you think this lack of experience will always haunt you? If you, for example, teach at quality international schools for 5-10 years, will you still feel that lack of 2 years home experience when going for new jobs?

As an addendum, I imagine you can get 2 years experience in any of the big English speaking countries--it wouldn't have to be your home country.